Did you just lose an important client?
There could be a couple of reasons behind the loss, but a poor or strained business-client relationship is likely to blame.
Yet, as a business owner, you know the value of maintaining positive relationships with your clients. You’re probably well aware that the probability of selling to an existing client is 60 to 70 percent, while the probability of selling to a new prospect is 5 to 20 percent.
So, why did your last client relationship fall apart? Here are the possible causes:
Poor Product/Service Quality
It doesn’t matter whether you sell a physical product or a digital service, if the quality isn’t up to standard, you’re going to have problems with your client.
First, you’ve to understand that the client certainly had several options, but they chose you. Either they liked your samples or you have a strong reputation in the market. Then once the client starts paying for the product/service, somehow the quality fails to meet their expectations.
If you don’t take the necessary quality assurance steps, the client will feel like they aren’t getting the best value for their money. And worst of all, they will feel cheated. Inevitably, the relationship will fall apart.
Late Project Delivery
Like offering poor quality products and services, being late on a project has the potential to kill your relationship with a client.
Let’s say you’re a graphic designer. A client hires to design a logo for a new business, and you agree that everything will be ready in 4 weeks’ time. Time flies by and for some reason – maybe you had a lot of work on your plate – you’re unable to deliver the logo on time.
You do what any professional graphic designer would do, which is ask for more time to complete the work.
Well, the client might give you some more time, but that’s beside the point. One, they will likely lose the trust they had in you and second, they might never do business with you again.
You might not know it, but being late on projects can be a major setback for your client. Maybe they were planning to launch the business on a specific date, now they have to postpone because the logo isn’t ready yet.
Failure to Go the Extra Mile
Picture this scenario:
You run a business consulting firm. A client comes to you for help writing a business plan. You agree on deliverables and start working on the plan.
Then, in the course of your work, you figure that the client is planning to open the business in a highly competitive location. In fact, you’re almost certain the business won’t succeed. But because you’re only getting paid to write the plan, you stick to your job.
Later on, the client starts the business and, as per your forecast, the competition is too fierce for it to thrive.
Now, do you think the client will come to you for help writing a plan for another business?
Most likely not. But why?
Simply because you failed to advise them. Sure, you did what they wanted, but in business, you have to go over and beyond to help your clients make better decisions. They might not have paid you to render business advice, but also it wouldn’t have cost you anything to let them know about the competitive market.
If they already knew this and were willing to take the risk, that’s their call. But if they went ahead against your advice and failed, they will no doubt come to you the next time they need a business consultant.
Lack of Proper Communication Tools
Long gone are the days when clients would need occasional updates on their projects. These days, they want to track project progress in real-time.
If you haven’t built a client portal where clients can access their projects and share information with you, you’re not doing your relationship any favors. No client wants to keep calling or emailing you just to check on the progress of their project or make inquiries. If your last client was doing this, it could be the reason the relationship didn’t work.
Slow Responses
We get it: it’s not always possible to issues quick responses to your client’s messages.
Sometimes you get stuck in traffic and by the time you reach your office, the client’s email has already been sitting for an hour. Or your office suffers a and as a result, you’re unable to show up for a conference call with your client.
Whichever way you slice it, there’s no doubt clients don’t like slow or delayed responses. Heck, in the era of instant messaging, nobody likes slow responses.
However, in business, the stakes are higher. Your client might cut you some slack for a few delayed responses, but if it becomes a habit, the relationships will start developing cracks and eventually fall apart.
Failing to Show Warmth
Romantic relationships and professional relationships have one thing in come: Both need warmth and love.
OK, maybe love is a stretch, but warmth is vital to the success of any business-client relationship.
You don’t have to spend time or buy your client gifts to show them some warmth. It could be something as simple as sending them a congratulatory email when you hear something positive about their business. Something like “Congratulations on winning the government tender….” Or “Thumbs up for breaking into Forbes top 5000 Companies…”
At the end of the day, your clients are human beings. And like all humans, they want to feel appreciated and cared for.
If your conversations with your clients are plain or lack emotion, don’t be surprised if they dump you and take their business to your competitor.
Strong Client Relationships Are Vital for Business Growth
One of the keys to building a successful business is keeping your clients happy.
If your last client relationship failed regardless of your efforts, you now have a good idea of what might have caused it. Don’t beat yourself about it, though. Learn from your mistakes and work to build a stronger relationship with your next client.
All the best and be sure to explore our blog for more
